Sunshine Coast Lightning and Confident Girls Foundation have joined forces for another year in 2024, delivering a number of programs, experiences and appearances to empower disadvantaged women and girls in the local community.
Proudly supported by Confident Girls, Lightning delivered three key opportunities in 2024, including:
First Nations Experience
10 First Nations Chancellor College students were invited to watch Lightning train, with an opportunity for questions and photos at the end of the session. The students were then joined by Lightning players Cara Koenen, Mahalia Cassidy and Leesa Mi Mi, and treated to a First Nations painting session lead by Gubi Gubi Women, Helen Bool and Aunty Lucy Davis.
The group created two collaborative artworks for their school, which focused on land and water, and demonstrated the connection the young women have to the Sunshine Coast landscape. These incredible pieces now hang proudly at Chancellor State College.
Burnside Highschool STEMM Program: Supporting Teenagers with Education, Mothering and Mentoring
The STEMM program is the first of its kind in Queensland, providing a unique, stand-alone curriculum enabling pregnant girls and young mothers to be supported in achieving their educational goals. Through the program, students have the opportunity to study and engage in life skills such as driving lessons, self defence and first aid.
Lightning delivered a four-week program focusing on the physical, emotional and social wellbeing of young mothers.
- Making Rainbows Sensory Music Class: a session to assist in building connections between mothers and their children through the help of music and instruments. Lightning players Steph Fretwell and Tara Hinchliffe participated in the session, alongside Vicki Gillespie, Confident Girls Chair.
- Rhythm Culture Drumming Session: a session allowing stress release and embracing emotional expression within a fun, supportive environment with Lightning players Ava Black and Steph Fretwell.
- Silent Yoga: this provided an opportunity for the young mums to build on their development of emotional regulation, cognitive awareness, resilience, compassion and gratitude. Lightning player Mahalia Cassidy was in attendance for this session.
- Workshop and Cooking Class: lead by Lightning Dietitian, Alison Miles, young mums of the STEMM program were taken through a number of healthy, easy recipes. Lightning players Steph Fretwell and Ash Ervin also participated.
In addition to the above, Steph Fretwell attended the 2024 STEMM graduation ceremony celebrating these incredible and inspirational mothers and their achievements with their children.
Cherbourg Excursion
Sunshine Coast Lightning had the pleasure of hosting a group of young girls from Cherbourg State School — a small school located in the Indigenous community of Cherbourg, 170kms north-west of Brisbane.
The young students are part of the school’s Juwunus Program, which aims to support the students to become independent, accountable and proud Wakka Wakka women in community. Juwunu is the word for ‘sister’ in Wakka Wakka language and so the program aims to represent a sisterhood between girls and women, working towards engaging the students in class, getting and keeping them in school and giving them tools to grow into strong, proud and deadly women.
12 young girls from the Cherbourg Juwunus Program were fully immersed in the Lightning environment. Players shared stories and formed genuine connections with the students over morning tea, which lead into a training session lead by Steph Fretwell, Leesa Mi Mi and Mahalia Cassidy.
The group shared lunch together before Sunshine Coast Lightning First Nations artist, Zartisha Davis, worked with the students in a cultural art workshop. Each student took home a piece of individual artwork inspired by Zartisha’s incredible work.
Lightning is proud of the significant impact it can make for hundreds of young women and girls in the community, thanks to the support of the Confident Girls Foundation.
In addition to the programs above, Confident Girls will be supporting six young females in attending the upcoming Lightning Legends school holiday clinic. These girls are currently in foster care here on the Sunshine Coast and have a keen interest in netball, however due to their circumstances, these young girls maybe not have the opportunity to attend without the help of Confident Girls.
For more information on Confident Girls Foundation and the work they do, please visit https://confidentgirlsfoundation.com.au/
